Norfolk Blogger

What is the Tories obsession with sex ?

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 20:01:00 +0000

The furore over the possible deselection of South West Norfolk Tory PPC Liz Truss is ongoing, with various newspapers now covering the story in some detail. The problem is, whenever they need a comment on the issue, they turn to the usual suspects in the Tory blogosphere, Iain Dale, and ConHome . And sadly every single time they seem to turn the issue to one of sex rather than one of trust. It seems the Tory blogosphere is obsessed with talking about sex.

The one thing they have missed is that South West Norfolk Tories are not going on about sex at all, and it seems odd for me, a Lib Dem who has campaigned in South West Norfolk against the Tories there to be defending them whilst the Metropolitan Tory blogs sling mud and barbs at Norfolk using the sort of stereotypical rubbish that anyone who really knew the county would know to avoid. Indeed some of the insults might easily be used by other political parties to highlight just what the Tories really think of Norfolk people.

The Telegraph did a piece on the Liz Truss story which went under the headline "Having an is no barrier to being an MP", says Shadow Womens minister. I agree, and I am sure that South West Norfolk Tories would agree also. The fact is though that it is an issue of trust because she did not share this information with the local Tory Party at the meeting.

It seems clear from virtually everything I have read that locals in South Norfolk are not talking about "the sex" or "the marital affair", but are instead deeply upset that they were treated like fools who could not be trusted to make sensible judgement based on being given the full facts. It might have been any issue, one not involving sex, it might have been a failed business, a scurrilous comment or a failed marriage, quite frankly it did not matter what the issue was. It was the fact that nobody bothered to tell the members first. If the local members are not told who the candidates are in advance (which I gather they were not), they couldn't look people up on Google. But should they be expected to ? Should you have to believe that candidates might keep potentially embarrassing information from you just because you don't have the ability to come already briefed to the selection meeting ?

So I would stress to those metropolitan Tories from outside of Norfolk. Get over the affair and start dealing with the issue of trust, and whilst you are at it, stop labelling and attacking people in Norfolk. If that's what you think of us all, you certainly don't deserve our votes.

Update : Ironically, I was also phoned today about whether I was interested in being the Lib Dem candidate in South West Norfolk. Sadly, I am too busy, but it appears that my views are closer to a lot of those in the Tory Party in SW Norfolk than many would have thought.

Liz Truss - Can the Tory blogging mafia spin their way through this one ?

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 11:38:00 +0000

As one commenter to my blog wrote

"Yesterday's headlines were "Liz Truss Comes out Fighting" (Iain Dale) and "Liz Truss Wins Over local paper" (Con Home).

They should have waited a day for Saturday's EDP !

I think this finally does for Liz. Even Iain Dale cannot spin this one."

What the Tory spinners failed to notice (from only looking at the online editions of the EDP) was that there was also a column in yesterdays EDP which absolutely castigated Liz Truss and those who from on high in the Tory Party, and outside of Norfolk, were dictating what they should and should not think. This article was totally overlooked by Iain Dale and Con Home.

The inconsistencies too in Liz Truss' story about when she became a Tory (at university she claimed) when everywhere else it says she was a Lib Dem at university and that she left the Lib Dems after leaving University did not add up.

Then we turn to today's EDP front page which leads on the headline that Elizabeth Truss is accused of "more hypocrisy and deceit as new revelations emerge".

Now come on Iain and Con Home. Spin your way through this.

The fact is that Iain and Con Home still don't get it. Whilst for many people the issue might be the affair she had, the truth is for the majority of people it is an issue of trust. And what is clear is that in the current political climate, being able to trust your candidate and MP is vital. Clearly people in SW Norfolk Tories have lost trust in Lizz Truss.

UPDATE - For those incapable of reading, can I refer them to the final paragraph and get over the issue of her marital infidelity. That, in itself, is not the issue. The issue is clearly one of trust and honesty, and this is where Mrs Truss appears to have her problems.

Tories absolutely 100% spot on over swine flu

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:52:00 +0000

At last one of the opposition political parties has broken the cosy consensus over swine flu and dared to question the way the vaccination programme is being handled in the UK.

Andrew Lansley has questioned why, in the light of evidence from the US, all those under the age of 24 are not being targetted with the vaccine, and further evidence on the BBC website would back up that view.

It is clear that those with underlying medical conditions are more at risk than other groups, but in particular those under the age of five are at just as big a risk as many people with underlying medical conditions. Currently 81% of under fives admitted to hospital for swine flu have no underlying medical condidtions. As the evidence shows, this age group, who are also twice as likely to need medical care and an intensive care bed, are being largely ignored by the government.

Despite government claims that under fives with medical conditions such as asthma are being targeted for the vaccine, I know that many children with asthma, using inhalers BUT who ahve not been officially diagnosed because many children under the age of three are not "officially" asthmatic until further test are undergone when they have "developed", will NOT GET THE VACCINE ! This is another one of the little lies this government and Sir Liam Donaldson have peddled in order to maintain that they know what they are doing.

I hope the Tories go further in asking the government why doctors surgeries have not even been told when they can expect the vaccine (meaning they cannot even start the process of booking appointments), and why it is that all doctors surgeries, irrespective of size and the number of patients they have, will all get 500 vaccines delivered. Surely any idiot could work out that larger doctors surgeries require more vaccine than smaller ones ? Apparently not, as it seem Sir Liam Donaldson really is as stupid a man as you can find. Remember it was Sir Liam Donaldson who said in September that we were "tantalisingly close to beating swine flu", and before that in early Ausgst he said we would be vaccinating by the end of August. Worse still he was saying in June we might have vaccines by late July. Oh dear !

So well done to Andrew Lansley, who has put the Lib Dems to shame in the silence that they have shown over this issue.

The cosy consensus would have had us believe that because things are not as bad as they might have been over swine flu that they government have done well. In truth, they have shown a massive degree if complacency and Sir liam Donaldson has shown himself to be a prize fool.

NatWest/RBS double talk

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 20:54:00 +0000

For months RBS, owners of NatWest, have been selling NatWest to the public as the bank that has more staff, more branches open, the most helpful staff and cares most about customers.

Today we read that NatWest are to shed up to one third of their staff.

It's investment banking that made the losses at RBS/NatWest, but it is the staff in wholesale banking who lost their jobs. What's more is it is customers, ordinary people like you and me who suffer and get worse service and less branches.

Isn't that an odd sort of logic ?

What are you saying Mr Dale ?

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 09:56:00 +0000

Iain Dale has printed his Eastern Daily Press column today on his blog and makes a rather astonishing parallel between the Liz Truss situation in South West Norfolk and that of a gay man.

Quoting Iain directly he says

" I wrote on my blog that the social outlook of those Tories who sought to deselect Liz Truss over her past affair with an MP was ‘neanderthal’. It’s the same social outlook which caused a few – and I emphasise, a few – North Norfolk Tories to swallow hard when I, a gay man, was selected as the candidate there in 2003."

Now I find this analogy rather odd and also rather disrespectful.

What Iain is saying is that there is a direct link, an equation, which puts as equal the peoples perceptions of gay people with person who breaks their marriage vows and has a long term affair with another married person. Am I the only person who finds this odd ?

My own views on gay people is not any different from my opinions towards heterosexual people. I have many gay friends, indeed my very best friend has recently announced his intention to marry (and I mean marry because they are going to Canada to do it) his male partner next year. Yet Iain Dale seems to be saying that the social outlook that people have towards a person who cares not one jot about her marriage vows, her promise to her partner and the vows her lover made to his wife is equal to the social values of someone who dislikes gay people. I disagree.

I am not a great fan of those people who think that marriage vows are something that can be ignored. It is a solemn promise to act in a way that is wholly loyal to your partner. It is not to be taken lightly. People are perfectly entitled to view people who break these vows with suspicion, as someone who may not keep to their word, and as someone who puts themselves selfishly above others. However, if you view someone who is gay with the same suspicion simply because they are gay, then this is wholly wrong.

For Iain Dale to equate the two is absolutely wrong. He may feel as a gay man he can get away with it. But I know many people who feel that the equation between a gay man and a marriage cheat is unfair.

Someone being gay is not an issue and should never be. Someone who breaks vows and solemn promises is, for many a real and justified position to take. When the issue of trsut is so important at the moment when talking about politicians, anything that causes people to lose trust is a justified position.

A week with the Tories - What does it tell us about them ?

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:26:00 +0000

It is fascinating how the Conservative party has tried to paint itself in David Cameron's image as something new and shiny that should be trusted at a time when politicians cannot be trusted to tell the truth. However, the last seven days tell us just how much of this image is wrong.

Let's start in Norfolk. In South West Norfolk the Tories were selecting a new candidate to stand in the safe Tory seat of South West Norfolk. Their selection effectively decides who will be the next MP in this seat. Now David Cameron likes to tell us how the Conservative Party has changed, how it is opening itself up, how it is letting the electorate make real decisions. He trumpets the so called "open primary" as a sign that the Tory Party is opening itself up. However, these open primaries are being used almost exclusively in seat where the sitting MP has stood down directly because of s scandal over expenses, meaning the "open primary" can help cleanse the Tory party's reputation in that area or alternatively they are being held in marginal seats where the use of the primary can win over a few more wavering voters.

In South West Norfolk there was no open primary. David Cameron's pledges about opening up democracy, how the Tory party was changing, and how local people could be allowed to make real decisions went out of the window. The sham of what David Cameron says, and how the Tories really act was shown for all to see.

Then we saw just how hypocritical the Tory Party really is in the wake of the selection of Elizabeth Truss as their candidate. Despite "openness" being their new watchword, the closed meeting of Tory members was not briefed on who had made the shortlist meaning that local Tories did not have a chance to find out the full details on who the candidates were. Then, upon being selected, it was revealed that their chosen candidate had had an 18 month affair with a married Tory MP, which she failed to mention at the meeting, the Tory Party showed itself to be as hypocritical as any party could be.

The leadership, ignoring their pledge towards openness, said that it was in the public domain and the candidate had their full support. The local party, feeling they had been lied to, referred her selection back to the Tory Party members in South West Norfolk and, as yet, we are not to know whether she will or will not be the Tory candidate.

In short this whole affair tells us that openness and honesty cuts only one way with the Tories. It is used to whitewash the Tories words. I don't much care if the Tory had an affair or not. It is her business. However, if you are claiming to be honest and open, you have to be exactly that and not expect people to have to look up your past on the internet.

Then switching from the East to the West, we have the example of the Tories in Cornwall and their "honesty" and "openness" when campaigning. Last week, Caroline Righton, the Conservative candidate in Newquay and St Austell misrepresented her Lib Dem opponent to electors. You can find chapter and verse on it all HERE.

Now everyone makes a mistake, and Caroline Righton appears to have made a big mistake in smearing her opponent. The deliberate insertion of a swear word in to a statement made by the Lib Dem candidate is childish. The forwarding of this false statement to electors is blatant low level dirty campaigning. But it could all be settled of Caroline Righton simply issued an apology, contacted those people who received her false information to make sure they understood it was an error and she apologised, and perhaps she could also have the guts to speak to the press and explain to them what she did without refusing to comment on what she has done.

The question is though, why a someone who uses the Tory mantra of fighting a positive and honest campaign can justify to herself telling untruths, peddling muck about her opponent and then refusing to apologise unless the simple truth is that the "positive and honest" campaign is just a means to an end. In fact the aim is not to be truthful, honest or positive, but instead to appear to be so in order to win at any cost.

Moving back from the West towards the Midlands, we read about two Tory councillors caught being unpleasant about fellow councillors in the Cotswolds. Two Tory councillors referred to Lib Dem councillors as "morons" on an internet forum. Did they apologise ? Did they offer an excuse ? No. Instead they claimed that one of their Facebook friends must be a Lib Dem sympathiser, and then ranted that it showed how "low the Lib Dems would go". So no apology, not reason given. Their abuse is forgotten in their foaming at the mouth to attack the Lib Dems again.

Finally we move back towards London for our geographical tour of the Tories behaviour. Watford Tories have returned to their usual form in spreading lies and innuendo about the actions of the Lib Dems in Watford. Before we start, let's remember that it was the former Watford Tory candidate who was found guilty of running a hate campaign against the Lib Dems in Watford just a few months ago, so you might have imagined the Tories would show more care and sensitivity when campaigning in Watford. But apparently not. The Tory headlines read "Lib Dems ban parents from playgrounds". The truth, as you can read HERE is completely different. That doesn't stop the Tories in Watford from blathering about this as a case of "political correctness gone mad". Sadly, it appears that child protection issues are something, even in the wake of the Baby Peter case that the Tories still feel they can make political capital from.

So aside from worrying parents, from stirring up distrust of the council, telling lies about the Lib Dems and seeking to undermine measures to protect children, what have the Tories achieved ? Well they have gained publicity for their candidate. Their "To hell with the truth and honesty" view to politics knows no shame.

So what do we learn about the Tories from this week ?

They tell lies. They don't apologise. They mislead people. They will refuse to comment when pressed on their smears. They know no boundaries and will use issues of child protection as a means of gaining votes, and actually honest, truthful and positive campaigning are just words.

More on Tories telling fibs in Cornwall

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:41:00 +0000

More articles can be found about the Caroline Righton "fibbing" story HERE

Iain Dale gets his facts completely wrong - Slight "Googling" hypocrisy ?

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:50:00 +0000

Iain Dale appears to have some egg on his face for reporting a story from The Metro without bothering to do a Google search and checking if the facts are correct.

This seems odd because Iain and other Tory bloggers were suggesting the other day that South West Norfolk Tories should have done a Google search about her sexual misdemeanours before selecting her. It's a shame therefore that Iain didn't bother to do a Google search before implying things about the Lib Dems that are not true.

Then again, this appears to be the Tory policy these days !

That's the kiss of death for Blair's ambitions

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:46:00 +0000

Gordon Brown today spoke up on behalf of Tony Blair becoming the first President of the EU. Brown called Blair and "excellent candidate" and spoke highly of Blair's qualities. There is only one problem. An endorsement from Gordon Brown is like a reverse form of the Midas touch for everything Gordon Brown touches turns in to excrement, not gold.

Such is the contempt in which Gordon Brown is held by the public these days, should he endorse beer, chocolate or sex then it is likely that beer sales would fall, women would stop thinking about chocolate and the birth rate would drop dramatically.

Green Party in "Do as we say, not as we do" shocker

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:54:00 +0000

Actually the title of this post is supposed to be sarcastic. We already have a Green candidate who stood in the Norwich North by-election whose carbon footprint is higher than I will achieve in a lifetime whilst the Greens voting record on Norwich City Council shows a level of inconsistency even the government would find hard to match.

So we shouldn't be surprised in the least to read that the Green Party leader does not follow her own advice when it comes to preventing energy and heat loss.

That said, the story is in the Daily Scum, so it probably isn't true.

Caroline Righton - Hypocrite, liar or fool ? Perhaps all three given what she has been doing in Newquay and St Austell

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 08:18:00 +0000

A week after Tory candidate for Newquay and St Austell misrepresented her Lib Dem opponent, she has still done nothing in the way of an apology or even explained why she chose to mislead people about her ability to check the facts.

One has to wonder what the Conservative voters in Newquay and St Austell will think of her particularly given her recent pledge to 'fight a positive and honesty campaign'. David Cameron is, of course, totally silent on the issue. Mr Cameron is quick to talk about honest and decency in politics but in this case does not seem to practise what he preaches.

Caroline Righton might do well to remember in 2005 Iain Dale was caught out misleading the electorate about his Lib Dem opponent Norman Lamb in North Norfolk. We all know what happened then. The Conservative Partyin Newquay and St Austell would do well to note this.

The truth is that a quick apology by Caroline Righton would have buried this as an issue, and with her refusing to comment on it for the local press, meaning the spineless local press have pulled two stories on this issue (they won't print without a statement from both sides), Caroline Righton, a former BBC and TVam journalist obviously knew the rules the press followed and assumed it would go away. She does not realise that the blogosphere does not work like that.

Update - Mark Pack reports that the Lib Dems have written to David Cameron about this. It does, of course, put "Dave" in an awkward position. He cannot back one of his candidates when she is lying but likewise his failure to respond would be seen as a refusal to back her actions. Interesting.

Update 2 - A member of Caroline Righton's staff has also been caught out trying to blank her wikipedia entry. Question ? What has she got to hide ?

Latest - Elizabeth Truss forced to explain herself to South West Norfolk Conservative members

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:30:00 +0000

Following on from the story yesterday about Elizabeth Truss, the newly selected Tory candidate for South West Norfolk, the BBC are reporting the the executive committee of South West Norfolk Conservative association have met tonight and asked her to return to speak to all party members at a special AGM to be held at the weekend.

The executive could have rubber stamped her appointment but have chosen not to do so.

Caroline Righton - Still no apology

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 19:43:00 +0000

I blogged about a Tory candidate in Cornwall going around misrepresenting her Lib Dem opponent. Apparently, according to twitter, she has still not apologised.

Come on Caroline Righton. Surely the people of Newquay and St Austell deserve better. Apologise to your Lib Dem opponent and move on.

Newly selected Tory candidate might be deselected within days

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 20:01:00 +0000

The EDP reports that Elizabeth Truss, the Tory A lister selected for the safe Tory seat of South West Norfolk might be deselected within days of being selected after revelations of her affair with a Tory MP were published by a national newspaper.

I thought it odd that South West Norfolk again did not choose a local person for the area after the clear success of having local woman Gillian Shephard as their MP for so many years. Still, it after the awful Christopher Fraser, the invisible man of Norfolk politics, surely anyone would be an improvement.

Now this explains a lot

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 10:47:00 +0000

According to research, the key to a happy marriage is for a man to marry a woman who is five years younger than him and who is smarter than him.

Given that my wife is five year, three months younger than me and better qualified than me, it seems that the research might be correct.

She doesn't read my blog so at least she won't know that I think she is smarter than me. I'll carry on giving the impression that I am the brains of the partnership !

Is Caroline Righton, The Conservative Candidate for St Austell & Newquay, telling fibs about her Lib Dem opponenent ?

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 09:46:00 +0000

Work it out for yourself HERE. One thing is for certain, she is showing an enormous amount of distain to constituents in Newquay and St Austell by not bothering to check her facts before making statements about her opponents.

Update : Reading on Twitter, despite being asked to apologise and retract what she said, Caroline Righton has still refused to do so. Speaks volumes about her as a person. I suggest the Lib Dems in Cornwall visit the solicitors.

The proof that Nick Griffin's pronouncements on Question Time don't fit the facts

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 13:19:00 +0000

For anyone fooled by Nick Griffin, and I was talking to a pensioner yesterday who seemed to have been fooled by the twaddle Nick Griffin spoke on Question Time, Channel 4 have fact checked every statement of "fact" he made on the show and , er, to put it nicely, it appears he was attmepting to pull the wool over voters eyes.

Check out what Mr Griffin said, and the real facts by clicking HERE

Hat Tip to Peter Black for finding this information.

The not so solid post strike

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:04:00 +0000

The Mirror (which I read today because someone brought it in to work) would have us believe today that support for the postal strike is rock solid. This seems at odds with my own experience.

I know people still receiving parcels. I myself have received my post for the last two days and plenty of other people tell me that they are also receiving their post.

The truth is that there are many in Royal Mail who know that the strikes will inevitably lead to greater job losses. It was pointed out on TV last night by Andrew Neil that back under the 1970-74 Edward Heath government, there were many strikes and the government caved in on al of them except for one. The only unsuccessful strike was the postal strike. Back in the 70s there was no e-mail and no competition. The world now does not come to an end when postal workers go on strike and the longer they strike, the more this becomes obvious to everyone.

The left wing campaigners who shame us all

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 17:38:00 +0000

One of the biggest ironies in free speech principles allowing the BNP to have a seat on the BBC Question Time panel tonight is the simple fact that extreme right wing parties of the ilk of the BNP are the very parties who would, if they could, deny people those rights. So for those of us who believe in free speech, it is very much through gritted teeth that we support the BBC's principled stance in allowing the BNP to appear on the show.

Sadly though, there are those who have used the BNPs appearance on Question Time as a means of pursuing their own vested interests.

Looking at the the usual suspect waving socialist worker placards whilst attempting to attack and break in to the BBC, you realise that there is only a very subtle difference between the methods of the far left and the far right. The differences are that whilst the far right claim to speak for the "ordinary working person", the far left seek to claim the title of speaking for the rest of us, which of course they don't.

The truth is that the actions of the far left outside the BBC today will only give solice to the BNP and will add to the view of many of those people, ignorant enough to vote BNP, that the whole world is against them and that people don't want to hear the BNPs version of the truth.

The majority of people, those who are liberal both with a small and large "l" who vote for mainstream parties, abhor the views of the BNP and hope that people see them for what they are. But the is a clear division between those who choose to oppose violent thugs in suits by legitimate democratic means and those who seek to wave placards and deny those they do not like from exercising rights that the vast majority of this country hold dear.

The truth is, of course, that the far left oppose the BNP from exercising freedom of speech because just like the far right, the far left are not to be trusted with guarding our freedoms.

Whilst they may not be racists, they want a class war, they also show prejudice and would be as quick to remove the rights we all hold dear as quickly as the BNP, if they had the chance. Meanwhile they shame the rest of us who oppose the BNP and who are now cast by them as being part of the BNP opposition alongside them.

Possibly no the greatest line from a salesman on the door

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 17:20:00 +0000

At teatime, up to my arms in cooking and looking after my song, a salesman knocked on the door trying to get me to switch electricity suppliers. The typical three loud knocks signalled his arrival.

( I open the door)

Salesman : Don't worry, I'm not a salesman (lie) and I am not one of those awful politicians who knock on doors to annoy people.

Me : Errm, I am one of the politicians who knock on doors. I don't do it to annoy people. Possibly not the greatest start.

Salesman : No. I don't suppose you are interested in switching electrical suppliers ?

Me : No.

Another Swine flu question ?

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:55:00 +0000

If the government have done all they can to ensure our swine flu immunisation programme is as effective and quick as possible, can we ask them why they started immunising people in Australia three weeks ago and we have yet to start in the UK ?

Why Nick Robinson is loathe to attack the Tories

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 20:50:00 +0000

It appears Nick Robinson, the former Tory and BBC political reporter, has links to Bedford Tories and perhaps lacks the principled backbone to report the Tory failure to gain the Bedford Mayoralty.

And the Tories claim the BBC is biased against them.

Sorry Iain

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 18:04:00 +0000

Just a quick note to say how sorry I am that my old political foe Iain Dale was not selected for Bracknell. You can read more about it HERE.

I ran myself in to the ground four years ago ensuring Norman Lamb beat Iain Dale in North Norfolk, but since then I have built up a great respect for Iain and I was happy to say that if I lived in Bracknell I would support Iain if i were able to vote at a Conservative selection meeting.

I read that Iain is now off to a family party for his father's 80th birthday. He's probably feeling very down, but I think a chance to be amongst loved ones is the ideal tonic for a disappointment.

Go Jenson

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 17:55:00 +0000

How pleasing to see Jenson Button win the world championship today in some style showing real flair in his overtaking and real emotion in victory.

We have a nasty habit of knocking our stars and the press have been full of those talking Jenson Button down in recent weeks, but he has become World Champion with a race to spare, and he's British. Let's be proud of him.

When two add two adds up to 57

nichstarling@btinternet.com (Norfolk Blogger) — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 22:14:00 +0000

In a by-election in Noth Norfolk yesterday the Tories hled the seat of The Runtons on North Norfolk Council. According to the Tory PPC in North Norfolk it is a "triumph for the Conservatives and a blow to the Lib Dems". Of course any victory is a victory and cannot be denied, but the comments from the Tory in North Norfolk is somewhat overblown.

For starters, the Runton's ward is the sort of ward the Tories should be winning easily, especially given their current poll ratings. The Lib Dems did hold the seat until 2007, but this was because the local Lib Dem councillor there had been on the council for many years, was extremely well known, and the previous councillor had been her husband, so there were specific local circumstances.

Taking in to account that the winning Tory in yesterday's election was also a trained Tory agent and that the Lib Dems were fighting on a broader front than the Tories (in that the Lib Dems gained a seat on North Norfolk council two weeks ago in an election that the Tories did not fight as hard), the result should be expected.

So of course, well done to the Tories for winning, but winning The Runtons by 70 votes really is a sign of the state of North Norfolk Tories. They ought to be weighing the votes in a ward like this, not sneaking home.